SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Hutton MCS Sylacauga LLC has closed on the purchase of a 33-acre tract on U.S. Highway 280 from the City of Sylacauga.

Clearing and construction on the property adjacent to Payton Park are set to begin next week with an official groundbreaking ceremony for the new shopping center later in the month. The 10-store Marble City Square, initially with two outparcels dedicated to restaurants, will use about half of the space in this phase, leaving room for significant future expansion.

Hutton expects to complete the multi-million dollar project for handover to tenants by the end of the first quarter of 2018, with openings beginning next April. The Alabama Department of Transportation will install a new traffic signal at one of two new access roads and coordinate timing with other lights in the area to maximize vehicular traffic flow.

“We’re excited to deliver an approximately 170,000 square foot development to the community,” Kevin Jennings, Development Partner with Hutton, told SylacaugaNews.com last year. “We think the project could generate well in excess of over 200 jobs.”

“This is a significant retail business investment and expansion,” said Sylacauga Mayor Jim Heigl. “Bringing this property to life inside the city limits will help us keep more retail dollars and jobs at home, attract new revenue from neighboring areas, and help support the city’s tax base.”

According to Jamey Flegal, Development Partner for Hutton’s Shopping Center Team, the company will begin disclosing committed tenant names at the groundbreaking event. Flegal’s company profile notes that his responsibilities for sourcing and overseeing new development opportunities have included work with Dick’s Sporting Goods, TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, Hobby Lobby, and PetSmart.

Chattanooga-based Hutton Team LLC, founded in 1994, specializes in construction and leasing of single- and multi-tenant grocery stores and shopping centers nationwide and has completed more than 200 owned and managed developments encompassing more than 10 million square feet across almost 1,000 locations in 37 states.

U.S. Highway 280 through Sylacauga is a heavily-trafficked route connecting the Auburn-Opelika area to Birmingham. According to the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, based on 2010 Census information, 224,220 people live within 30 miles of the Marble City.